Temptation
by Krystiana
Summary: The beginning of the Altered Universe. What if Brooklyn had REALLY joined Demona? I wondered... and this is what came up.


Temptation  
by: Krystiana Slinky(kbrannan@raex.com)  
  
FYI: Part I is basically the same as in the original cartoon, so if you  
don't want to read it, then don't. It's just like the beginning of the  
original Temptaion, but in FanFic form.   
  
Part I  
  
Lexington was putting the finishing touches on the motorcycle he had been  
working on.   
  
"Isn't it finished yet?" Broadway asked, scratching his head.  
  
"Come on!" Brooklyn said impaitently. "You've been here every night for a  
week!"  
  
Lexington sat the bike up, glaring at Brooklyn. "You rode a horse once,  
could you build one from spare parts?"  
  
Brooklyn shrugged, walked over to a table, and picked up a helmet. He  
carefully poked two holes in it for the two horns on his head. He slipped  
the helmet on his head, grinning.   
  
"Why bother with the helmet?" Broadway cracked. "Your head's hard enough!"  
  
Brooklyn rolled his eyes as he folded his wings under his arms and slipped  
the leather jacket on. He turned around and grinned. "Hey, it's all part of  
the look."  
  
Lexington put the kickstand down. "There. It's finished!" he said proudly.  
  
Brooklyn hopped on the bike, pulling out his sunglasses. "All right!" He  
revved the bike and shot forward. He turned around the fence, speeding off.   
  
"Yeah, go! Broadway yelled.   
  
"All right, he's flying!" Lex yelled at the same time. At the same moment,  
they looked at each other.  
  
"Hey, don't we get a turn?" Broadway asked.  
  
They were both unaware of the pair of glittering red eyes watching them from  
above.  
  
***  
  
Brooklyn sped down the street. "I love this bike!" he yelled to the air.   
  
He sped by a darkened car, not seeing the two policemen inside. As the siren  
sprang to life and the antlers lit up, he looked back.  
  
"Ooo. Not good. Nooot good," he muttered, shaking his head. He turned into  
an alley, growling.  
  
"Hit the light!" he heard, and a bright white light glared in his eyes. He  
growled again as he came to the end of the alley.  
  
But he didn't stop. He reared the bike back, sailing over the brick wall. He  
ripped his wings through the jacket, bringing him down the street on the  
other side safely.  
  
"You wanna call that in?" he heard one of the policemen say.   
  
"Call _what_ in?" the other one said. There were a few moments of silence.  
  
"That's it. I-I'm off sugar." Brooklyn grinned at the comment and breathed a  
sigh of relief. He looked up at his wings, flapping them for a moment, then  
folded them back to where they had been before.   
  
Suddenly he heard a lot of some kind of motors. He cocked his head, looking  
at the open end of the alley, seeing a bunch of bikers drive by. He revved  
his cycle again, and charged. He deliberatley went by them, turning a sharp  
corner. The bikers stopped, as did Brooklyn.   
  
"Hey, rechous hog, man," one of the bikers said.  
  
One man came up, obviously the leader. "That's some cherry ride, bro."   
  
Brooklyn grinned. "Glad ya like it."  
  
"Where'd ya get it?" another said.   
  
"My friends and I made it!"  
  
"Hey, cool." The leader smiled. Brooklyn took off his helmet, revealing that  
the horns on his helmet were actually on his head.   
  
The leader took a step back, shocked. "What?!" he said. "It's a freaking  
monster! Uh...get it!" he ordered. The gang members leapt forward, piling on  
top of him.   
  
Brooklyn was really surprised. "Hey, what're you doing?" he yelled as more  
and more attacked him. Then they started punching him. He went from  
surprised to XXXXed. He threw them all off with a burst of stregnth.  
  
He growled, standing up, allowing his eyes to glow. "You wanna fight?" he  
yelled. "You got it!" He spread his wings, throwing off the remains of the  
jacket.   
  
The first one came at him waving around a wrench. Brooklyn picked him up and  
threw him against the line of bikes, knocking them all over with the dominos  
effect. The others backed off."I was just trying to fit in!" Brooklyn yelled  
..   
  
"Get him!" the leader yelled, pointing. They piled on top of him again.  
Brooklyn growled, throwing them off one at a time. "Enough!" The leader  
yelled, pulling a gun. "Let's see if your bullet-proof, freak."  
  
Brooklyn looked around, apparently surrounded. The leader took aim...  
  
A panther-like screech filled the air. Something whizzed by the leader,  
knocking his gun off aim. Brooklyn still had to dodge the bullet, and it  
fell onto the bike Lex had made. It blew up into a great fireball.  
  
Brooklyn roared, really XXXXed off now. "MY BIKE!" he yelled, extending his  
wings. He turned around and growled again. Another gargoyle landed next to  
him. He didn't look to see who it was, knowing it was one of his brothers.   
  
One used a chain like a whip. Brooklyn threw his arm up, letting the chain  
wrap around it. He swung his arm around, letting the biker fly. The other  
gargoyle picked up one of them as he tried to throw a punch and threw him  
against the wall.  
  
The leader regained his composure and began shooting at Brooklyn. The other  
gargoyle rushed past, bringing Brooklyn with it. He wasn't about to argue,  
so he went along. They climbed up the wall and glided off.   
  
The biked threw his gun away after all the bullets were gone, hopped on his  
bike, and rode away. Brooklyn wasn't about to follow him.  
  
***  
  
Brooklyn landed on the top of a building, looking around. Something looked  
back at him and then ran into the shadows.  
  
"Broadway? Lexington?" Brooklyn asked, walking towards it.   
  
"None of the above," came a familiar voice. It walked out of the shadows  
smiling, the red glow in it's eyes dying down.   
  
"Demona?!" Brooklyn said in surprise, backing away.   
  
"Please," she started. "I just want to talk."  
  
"Uh-huh," Brooklyn said sarcastically, still backing away. "Last time, you  
just wanted to blow me away with a bozooka."  
  
"That was then-"  
  
"And this is goodbye!" Brooklyn yelled, turning around, hopping up on the  
fence, getting ready to take off.  
  
"Wait, please," Demona yelled.   
  
Brooklyn stopped and looked back, but didn't relax.  
  
"I'm sorry, Brooklyn," Demona said, walking forward slowly. "I-I know I  
shouldn't of shot at you." She looked down sadly. "I was crazy with rage and  
fear. If you only knew what I've gone through for hundreds of years dealing  
with the humans."  
  
Brooklyn's eyes widened in suprise. "Hundreds of years?! I thought you were  
under the sleep spell, like we were."  
  
"It's a long story, centuries long," Demona sighed. "I'd like to tell you  
about it, if you'd let me."   
  
Brooklyn turned his head away from her. "I don't trust you, Demona."  
  
"Wasn't this like old times?" she said, coming forward again. "Fighting  
together, side by side, comrades in arms..."   
  
"Stay back," Brooklyn warned.   
  
Demona stopped and sighed. "I saved you life just now." She crossed her arms  
.. "Doesn't that at least entitle me to a moment of your time?"  
  
Brooklyh thought for a moment, then relaxed his wings. "All right," he said  
softly. "I'm listening."  
  
***  
  
Broadway and Lexington landed at the castle. They walked into the TV room,  
where Hudson, Bronx, and Goliath were.   
  
"Who do you think you are, Elvis?" came the mocking voice from the TV.  
Laughter filled the air. Goliath looked up from the book he was reading when  
Broadway and Lex came in.  
  
"Where's Brooklyn?" he asked.  
  
Broadway made gestures of holding onto handlebars. "He's out joyriding."  
  
Goliath raised an eye ridge. "Joy-rid-ing," he said, tasting the new word.  
He shrugged and went back to his book as another roar of laughter came from  
the television.  
  
***  
  
"I want to help you, help all the gargoyles," Demona said. She was now up  
next to Brooklyn. "Those humans you just met...what did you do to provoke  
them?"  
  
Brooklyn looked away angrily. "I did nothing! They just attacked me!" he  
growled. Demona put a taloned hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Exactly," she said. "That's what humans are like." Brooklyn gave way to a  
look of surprise.   
  
"But...Goliath says when they get used to us..."  
  
"They were _used_ to us a thousand years ago," Demona snarled. "Did that  
stop them from betraying and destroying our kind?"  
  
"I..." Brooklyn looked away. "I don't know."  
  
Demona jumped onto the fence. "You don't know the depths to which humanity  
can sink my young friend," she said. "But I do. Over the centuries, I've  
seen horrors that would blast your soul." She flung her wings open, offering  
a hand to Brooklyn. "Come, let me show you what mankind is _really_ like."  
  
Brooklyn looked up at her. Then, almost guiltly, he placed his hand in hers.  
Demona smiled and drew him up into a standing position. They both jumped off  
the building, gliding off into the night.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Here is another warning: this part is a little different from the original,  
not like Part I. It has many parts which are the same, but there is one more  
scene that Demona shows Brooklyn about humanity, and that scene between  
Goliath and Brooklyn is a little more heated(not much, but a little longer).  
Enjoy!  
  
**********  
  
Part II  
  
Their first stop was on top of another building, over an in-progress mugging  
.. It was the old scene: the man grabs the purse from the woman and runs like  
hell.  
  
"HELP! Police, police!" the woman yelled as the man dashed away.   
  
Brooklyn growled, preparing to stop him, but Demona placed her hand on his  
shoulder. "What would you do?" she said. "Capture him for human justice?"  
She turned away as Brooklyn looked at her. "He'd be out of jail and back on  
the street in a day," she finished, shrugging.   
  
Brooklyn looked at her sadly, knowing that she was right. Demona glided off  
the building. Brooklyn looked around for a moment, than followed her.   
  
They landed outside an innocent looking house. There was a commotion going  
on inside.   
  
"Look, his grades stink, his friends are hoodlums..." The man, apparently  
the father, was telling his wife.   
  
"WHAT DO YOU CARE?!" the woman yelled. "You're never home anyway!" She  
picked up a nearby vase and threw it at him.   
  
There was a slamming at the front of the house, and Brooklyn snuck forward  
to see a boy fleeing from the house in tears.   
  
"They can't share their own homes without fighting," Demona said from behind  
him. Her eyes lit up a terrifying red. "And you think they will share this  
world with _us?_"  
  
They next landed over a basketball court, looking at a kids' fight in  
progress. One child was surrounded by all the others, being teased and  
shoved around.  
  
"Punk!" "Crackhead!" "Asshole!" "Son of a bitch!" "Dickhead!"   
  
Brooklyn growled at the words, but did nothing about it. Demona looked at  
him and smiled. "You see? Their children can't get along. What makes you  
think that they would "get along" with us?"  
  
Their last stop was over a murder scene. A body was being shoved into an  
ambulance, a gun being put into a plastic bag as evidence.   
  
"They hold each others lives completely without worth," Demona said. "Do you  
really think they would accept us with open arms?"  
  
Brooklyn sighed and shook his head. "No."  
  
"And this is not the worst of it," Demona added. She stroked the side of his  
beak gently. "We must make Goliath see the truth. Humanity will never trust  
or accept us."  
  
"But not all humans are like that," Brooklyn interjected. "Elisa is our  
friend."  
  
"Perhaps the policewoman may be the exception that proves the rule," Demona  
said, standing up on the ledge they were standing on. "But can she keep you  
safe from the rest of humanity? Only we can protect each other, Brooklyn."  
Her eyes began to glow as she clenched her fists determinedly. "We must be  
untited and strong, and willing to deal with the humans as they would deal  
with us." She looked down at the scene again. "Goliath thinks we can hide in  
their midst like mice and hope for their understanding. This is not  
posssible. Remember what happened to Goliath and Lexington? They were hunted  
like animals because Lexington trusted the Pack."  
  
Brooklyn looked at Demona in shock. "How did you know?" he asked her.  
  
"If you think I'm wrong, then show yourself to them."  
  
Brooklyn looked down at the scene once again, hesitating. He looked away  
from Demona, knowing she was right.  
  
Demona smiled. "Very wise, my young friend. They would shoot you down like a  
dog."  
  
Brooklyn looked at his hands, then down at the scene again. He slowly got up  
.. "Let's say you're right. What can we do? Goliath still believes humanity  
will accept us eventually."  
  
"Goliath must be made to see the truth. There is a way Brooklyn," Demona  
said. "The Grimorum Achinorum. Bring it to me. There is a spell of truth in  
it's pages." She placed her hands on Brooklyn's shoulders. "With it, I can  
open Goliath's eyes. Once he understands, the rest will follow him."   
  
Brooklyn looked down at the murder scene once more, looking at the lights on  
top of the police cars, creating an intresting effect on the walls around  
them. Demona sat back, smiling.  
  
Slowly, she nodded.  
  
***  
  
Goliath looked at Brooklyn gliding in, landing on the tower with ease.   
  
"How was your...joyride?" Goliath asked him.  
  
Brooklyn looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Uh... illuminating,"  
he answered.  
  
"Goliath!" Goliath turned to see Elisa rushing up the stairs. She panted,  
out of breath. I'm glad I caught you before dawn."  
  
"Yes, Elisa...is something wrong?" Goliath asked, looking at her.  
  
"There will be. Xanatos's sentence is almost up. He'll be out of jail in a  
month!"  
  
Goliath crossed his arms. "So you've said before. Why does this concern you?  
"  
  
"It concerns you. You'll all have to find another place to live," Elisa said  
.. "But don't worry, I think I've found the perfect place..."  
  
"There's no need for that," Goliath interrupted. "Xanatos has been beaten.  
The castle is ours now."  
  
"How do we know that?" Brooklyn spoke up. "What if he tried to reclaim it?"  
  
"We will deal with that if and when it happenes," Goliath snarled. "But we  
are not leaving our home!"  
  
"But Goliath, what about the last time?" Brooklyn said, glaring at Goliath.   
  
Off to the side, Broadway, Hudson, and Lexington were looking at each other  
in surprise. They didn't think Brooklyn would ever talk to Goliath that way.  
  
"What about the last time?" Goliath said, puzzled as well.  
  
"The last time you trusted _humans_..." He was cut off as the sun rose and  
they turned to stone. Elisa, who had watched the scene as well, looked at  
the rising sun.  
  
"Hmmph, that's one way of avoiding a conversation," she muttered, turning to  
leave.  
  
***  
  
The six gargoyles woke up with the usual roar. Goliath and Hudson glided  
down to the second level, that morning's arguement forgotten.   
  
Broadway yawned, stretching. "Lat's get some breakfast," he said, patting  
his stomach.  
  
Lexington looked at his red rookery brother, who seemed preoccupied. "You  
coming, Brooklyn?"   
  
Brooklyn avoided both pairs of eyes. "Maybe later."   
  
Broadway and Lexington shrugged, and went off to find some food.  
  
Brooklyn made sure they were out of sight, then glided off the tower. He  
circled around and landed in the courtyard.   
  
He put his back to the wall, casting a quick, hunting glance around. Then  
he ran into the Great Hall.   
  
The door opened with a metallic clang and Brooklyn tiptoed over to the  
Grimorum Achimorun. It was kept in a protective glass case. He slashed the  
mechanical lock and grabbed the Grimorum. He looked around once more and  
then ran out.  
  
***  
  
Brooklyn landed in the middle of the Cloisters quietly.   
  
"I knew you'd come," came a voice from the shadows. Demona stepped out and  
walked towards Brooklyn.  
  
Brooklyn smiled and held out the Grimorum. "I brought the book."  
  
"Excellent," Demona said, grabbing the book from him and hugging it close.  
"Now all I need is Goliath...but how to get him here..."  
  
"I'll handle that," Brooklyn offered. "Anything to make him see the truth."  
  
Demona smiled. "Take your time. The spell required is complex. I'll need to  
study it."  
  
Brooklyn left as Demona opened the book, looking for the spell.   
  
***  
  
Goliath sat on the tower, thinking.   
  
Brooklyn glided around and landed. "Goliath, I've found a fascinating place.  
"   
  
Goliath looked at Brooklyn. "How so?" he asked.  
  
"It's like the world we came from," Brooklyn said. "It's called the  
Cloisters. Would ya like to see it?" Goliath noticed Brooklyn had a funny  
smile on his face, but ignored it and smiled himself.  
  
They landed at the Cloisters and Goliath looked around. "It's beautiful," he  
said, smiling. "I wish we'd brought the others."  
  
"It's good you didn't," came a familiar voice. "Because we wanted you here  
alone." Demona stepped out of the shadows, carrying a book. Goliath looked  
at Brooklyn, who looked guiltly-or was it smug?   
  
Brooklyn was backing away from Goliath, leaving him out in the open. To his  
horror, Brooklyn went and stood next to Demona. He looked at Demona, who was  
opening the book she was carrying, then back at Goliath.  
  
Goliath's first thought was, ~Brooklyn has betrayed the clan.~  
  
*****************************************************************  
Hi, me again. Now here is the part where it gets different, and a little  
tricky. Part III is mucho different from the cartoon. This is the part where  
....I'll let you find out.  
  
**********  
  
Part III  
  
Goliath growled. "Demona," he said, sneering. "So you did survive."  
  
"I always survive," Demona stated in a defiant voice. She flipped through  
another page in the book she was holding. Goliath recognized the book,  
finally.  
  
"The Grimorum!" Goliath said. He turned to the young red gargoyle standing  
next to her. "Brooklyn, what is happening here?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Listen to her, please, Goliath," Brooklyn said. "She has something very  
important to say to you."  
  
"He's right, Goliath," Demona said, looking down at the book. "Listen, and  
obey." She raised her hand as Brooklyn watched on. "Sine dubio, instantato..  
.." An eerie green light emmited from the book. It shot forward and struck  
Goliath.  
  
Goliath roared as he felt his own will being pulled from him.  
  
***  
  
Brooklyn looked at Goliath. Goliath had covered his eyes with his hands, and  
now he was bringing them away. They were green, the same color as the light  
that flown into him.  
  
"Now what?" Brooklyn asked, turning to Demona. She closed the book and  
tucked it under her arm.  
  
"Watch," she said, shushing him. "Humans are our enemies," she said.  
  
"Humans are our enemies," Goliath repeated tiredly, like a child reciting a  
hated lesson.  
  
Brooklyn raised an eye ridge. "And _this_ is showing him the truth? It  
sounds like you just made him your slave."  
  
"Our slave, Brooklyn," Demona stated, smiling. "Our slave."  
  
"But...what about the rest of the clan? They're not going to follow you if  
they know that he's being controlled."  
  
"It won't matter. If they don't cooperate, then we will place them under the  
spell as well."  
  
"Forever?"  
  
"No, just until we reach our goals."  
  
Brooklyn looked at Goliath again. "How does the spell work?"  
  
"He will obey whoever holds the spell."  
  
Brooklyn sighed. "You were just using me, weren't you? You just used me to  
get to Goliath."  
  
Demona turned to Brooklyn in shock. "Goodness, no!"  
  
"It's okay. I don't care...but I understand. If the rest of the clan doesn't  
understand that the humans really _are_ our enemies, then I guess they would  
have to be ...convinced."  
  
Demona looked at Brooklyn through a corner of her eye and gave a broad smile  
.. "You have made a wise choice on who to stand by, young one."  
  
Demona looked at the sky. "Let's be off, then." They climbed to the top of  
the wall and glided off into the night.  
  
***  
  
Hudson was watching television when he heard the battle cry from outside.  
Bronx ears perked up, and he began growling.  
  
Hudson drew his sword and run outside. Broadway and Lexington had heard it  
as well, and were already out there, looking around.  
  
And seeing nothing.  
  
They heard the battle cry again, and this time Hudson recognized it. His  
eyes widened. "Demona!" he said. "She survived!"  
  
Lexington looked at the sky and saw Demona diving at them "There!" he yelled  
, pointing. "She's right there!"   
  
Demona landed on the ground, Goliath landing next to her. Hudson noticed he  
looked tired, and his eyes were a dull green.   
  
"What've ye done to him, lass?" Hudson said, raising his sword.  
  
Demona smirked. "Convinced him."  
  
"Convinced him to do what?"   
  
"To be our slave. And if you don't agree with me, then you will become our  
slave as well," Demona said, holding up a book.  
  
"OUR slave?" Hudson said.  
  
"I would think that at least one of you is going to agree with me."  
  
"Not in this lifetime!" Broadway yelled, eyes lighting up. The others did  
the same, and they all leapt for Demona.  
  
Demona took a step back. "Goliath, stop them!" she yelled, pointing at the  
rushing gargoyles.  
  
Goliath growled and picked up Lexington, who had reached him first. He threw  
Lex with all his might against Broadway, and they both fell on top of Bronx.  
  
  
Hudson, meanwhile, had reached Demona and noticed the Grimorum. "Ye have him  
under a spell!" Demona smiled and nodded.   
  
"Don't worry, old soldier, he is not under just my control," Demona said.  
"You could control him as well, if you held the spell."  
  
Hudson stroked his beard thoughtfully. Demona relaxed, a little. That's when  
Hudson struck. He lashed out at her, knocking her down. He grabbed the  
Grimorum and ran. Demona growled and chased after him.   
  
"Lad, get her!" He yelled, running. Goliath perked up and began walking  
towards Demona.  
  
Demona cornered Hudson. She tried to snatch the book away from him, but he  
held the book away from her. He tried to get away from her, but she cut him  
off no matter which way he went. Goliath was still running at Demona, but he  
was not going to get there in time.  
  
"Hudson!" Brooklyn's voice boomed from behind Demona. "Here!" Hudson tossed  
him the book and he caught in mid-air.  
  
Demona was watching Brooklyn catch it. She turned back to Hudson, smirking.  
"That was a fatal mistake, old soldier." Hudson looked at Demona, confused.  
  
Brooklyn held the book tightly. "Goliath, stop!" he commanded. Hudson looked  
at Brooklyn in shock as Goliath stopped advancing on Demona.   
  
"Have ye gone daft, lad?" he yelled. "What's wrong with ye?"  
  
Brooklyn smiled and shrugged. "My alliance has...shifted."  
  
Hudson gasped. "You mean...ye joined with Demona?"  
  
Brooklyn nodded. Demona said, "He was with me even before Goliath was under  
the spell."  
  
Hudson looked back over at Brooklyn. "Lad...it can't be true."  
  
"Sorry, Hudson. It's true. It's not like I betrayed the clan or anything...  
you just don't understand."  
  
"What don't we understand?" Broadway yelled, coming up next to Brooklyn,  
followed by Lex and Bronx.  
  
"You don't understand what humanity is really like," Demona said walking up  
next to Brooklyn. "I showed Brooklyn."  
  
"What, like you showed Goliath?" Lexington shouted, obviously angry and hurt  
.  
  
"No spells, Lex," Brooklyn said, shaking his head. "I was with her even  
before I got the Grimorum for her."  
  
"Ye stole the Grimorum, lad?" Hudson asked, still not believing that this  
young gargoyle had betrayed the clan.  
  
Brooklyn shook his head again. "I didn't _steal_ it. I...borrowed it."  
  
"Hi, guys...what's going on?"  
  
Demona spotted Elisa as she came from inside the castle. Demona growled,  
eyes firing up.   
  
Elisa saw Demona, and Brooklyn standing next to her, holding the Grimorum.  
Goliath was behind her, and she couldn't see him.  
  
"Brooklyn...wh..."  
  
"He's betrayed the clan, lass!" Hudson yelled.  
  
"What?!" Elisa shouted. "Brooklyn...I don't believe it!"  
  
"Neither do I," Brooklyn sneered at Hudson. He turned and handed the  
Grimorum to Demona.   
  
Demona growled at Elisa as she took the book. "Goliath, kill the human," she  
ordered.   
  
Elisa looked behind her and saw Goliath. "Run, Elisa!" Broadway yelled.   
  
"He's under a spell!" Hudson joined in. Elisa looked back at them and then  
at Goliath. She bolted.  
  
Brooklyn was staring at Demona. "But...that's the one good human."  
  
Demona turned to Brooklyn. "If you remember, The Captain of the guard was  
the only good human, and then betrayed us."  
  
Brooklyn blinked and looked away. Demona was watching him carefully. "Young  
one, you know I'm right." Brooklyn sighed and nodded.  
  
While they were talking, Hudson had taken the oppurtunity to sneak up behind  
the two of them. He rammed into Demona and ran with the book.   
  
Brooklyn growled and chased after him. Hudson looked back and saw him. He  
faltered for a moment, and Brooklyn struck. He leapt up and planted a swift  
kick to Hudson's back. Hudson flew to the ground and skidded a moment and  
then was still.   
  
Meanwhile, Elisa couldn't believe that one of her friends had betrayed them,  
or had helped put another friend under a spell.   
  
"Goliath..." she whispered as she backed away from him. He had her cornered.  
He had risen a fist, preparing to strike...  
  
When Lexington and Broadway knocked into him, making him fall. Broadway  
grabbed Elisa and ran, while Lexington tried to hold Goliath down without  
much success. Goliath reared up and knocked Lexington away.  
  
Lex landed right by the Grimorum, where it had landed when Brooklyn knocked  
down Hudson. Lexington looked at it for a moment, and then at Brooklyn, who  
was rushing at him madly. Lex picked up the book and ran.   
  
Brooklyn went down on all fours and began to run faster after Lexington. Lex  
leapt up onto the wall and began to climb with the Grimorum in his mouth.  
Brooklyn immediately started climbing after him.  
  
Lexington didn't dare look back. He didn't want to see what his rookery  
brother had become. Without noticing it, a single tear ran down his cheek as  
he glided away towards Goliath.  
  
***  
  
"GOLIATH!"   
  
The green-eyed Goliath turned his head from Elisa and Broadway. "STOP!"  
Elisa spotted Lexington with the Grimorum, with an angry Brooklyn right  
behind him. Lexington looked seriously hurt by Brooklyn's betrayal.   
  
Demona ran into Lexington from the side, trying to grab the Grimorum from  
him. It slowed him down enough for Brooklyn to catch up. Brooklyn began  
helping Demona, trying to loosen Lex's grip on the book.   
  
Lexington threw the book at Elisa and Broadway. Elisa jumped up and caught  
it. Demona immediatley dived for her, echoing a battle cry.   
  
Elisa ducked as Demona swooped over her head. Demona roared as she side-  
swiped a wall. Elisa looked back and then started running.   
  
Brooklyn landed right in front of her, growling. Elisa looked at him sadly.  
"Brooklyn, why did you do it?"  
  
"Do what?" he asked taking a step towards her.  
  
"Betray the clan."  
  
Brooklyn roared at her, eye glowing. Elisa cringed back. "I DIDN'T BETRAY  
THE CLAN! WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT?"  
  
"Because that's what you did!" Elisa insisted. "You don't usually cast  
spells over them, chase them around, or knock them out," she said, gesturing  
to the unconsious Hudson. Brooklyn glanced at him.  
  
Elisa backed away from Brooklyn, tucking the Grimorum under her arm like a  
football. She turned around to face Demona, with an enraged look on her face  
..   
  
"Prepare to die, human," she snarled. Brooklyn cornered her from the other  
side.   
  
"Elisa, give us the book," Brooklyn said in a soothing voice. "We won't hurt  
you."  
  
Elisa looked at Brooklyn with narrowed eyes. "Well, now, Mr. Psychiatrist,  
answer me this." Brooklyn raised an eyeridge, curious.  
  
"What?"   
  
Elisa smiled as Broadway tackled Demona from behind. Elisa whirled around  
and kicked Brooklyn in the face. Brooklyn roared and put a hand to the side  
of his face. He fell to his knees as a cut on the side of his face began to  
bleed.   
  
Demona flipped around and roared at Broadway. She punched Broadway in the  
face, knocking him off. Demona leapt up on from behind Broadway, putting  
both arms around his neck, pulling one up on his chin. Broadway growled and  
grabbed Demona on the shoulders and flipped her over, making Demona land on  
her back. Demona began gasping for air; she had had the wind knocked out of  
her.   
  
It took all his will not to go and comfort his brother, but Broadway turned  
to Brooklyn, who had gotten up with him hand still to his face.   
  
"Goliath!" Elisa yelled. "Get Brooklyn!" Goliath perked up and started  
running at Brooklyn. Goliath picked up him from behind and threw him into a  
wall. He tried to get up, but fell back to the ground, unconsious.  
  
Demona had gotten up by now and seen what had happened. She ran over to  
Brooklyn and picked him up. She ran over to the wall with him. She turned  
back and yelled, "You have won...this time." She leapt off the wall with  
Brooklyn in her arms.   
  
Elisa looked at the book and then back up at the sky. A battle cry echoed  
across the sky, joined by another lower one. Brooklyn had woken up.   
  
Elisa turned back to Broadway and Lexington. "Do you guys know how to  
reverse the spell?" They shook their heads.  
  
"Only that he will obey whoever holds the spell," Lex said, scratching his  
head.   
  
Elisa sighed and looked at Goliath. Then she smiled. "I've got it!" She  
walked up to Goliath, holding out the book.  
  
"Goliath, I'm holding the spell, so you have to do what I say," she said,  
showing him the book. "Goliath, I order you to act for the rest of your life  
exactly as you would if you were not under a spell." Goliath looked up and  
then closed his eyes, shaking his head.  
  
When he opened them, his eyes were back to normal. He looked at the remaning  
members of the clan. "Very clever, Elisa," he said, and the clan cheered.  
"It worked."  
  
Elisa smiled for a moment. Hudson had gotten up and walked up beside Elisa.  
"Brooklyn is gone," he said. "With Demona."  
  
Goliath nodded sadly. "It would seem we have a new enemy."  
  
Lexington and Broadway looked down at the ground in sorrow. Their only  
remaining rookery brother was gone.   
  
"Goliath...I'm so sorry," Elisa said, fighting back tears.   
  
Goliath looked at her. "What are you apologizing for?" Elisa just shook her  
head.   
  
Goliath looked up to the brightening sky. "Come, the sun is rising." They  
leapt up to their perches, straying their eyes from Brooklyn's usual perch.  
The sun rose, and instead of the usual fighting stance to ward of  
trespassers, they all had an expression of sorrow.   
  
Elisa looked straight at the sun, ignoring the fact she could ruin her eyes.  
  
  
"Goodbye, Brooklyn," she whispered. "I hope you find your way back home."  
  
*****************************************************************  
Okay, nobody kill me. If you hated the story, tell me. If you loved it, tell  
me. kbranna@raex.com Go on, I wanna know! This is not going to reflect any  
of my other stories, and I don't think I'm going to write another story in  
this universe, so if I make a reference to Temptation, it's the original,  
not this one.  
  
**Coming Soon! Written by me and Kristafori: The Gate- A crossover between  
Kristafori's and mine fanfics. When the Phoenix escapes the Gate and the  
bindings that Goliath sent it to, it brings Krissie and her Brooklyn into my  
dimension. Problem is, will they get along with the clan's alter selves?** 


End file.
